Snowmageddon - Day 9

 

I didn't make much visible progress yesterday in cleaning the sewing room.  Things were steaming ahead until I tackled the UFO pile.  In that pile were the makings of two cosmetic pouches and one baby quilt.  The pouches had been cut out and interfaced.  The baby quilt was (I thought) pretty close to done.

I started this quilt several years ago, but I can't remember what spawned the project, whether I was making it for a grandchild or just goofing around.  The pattern is a combination of "Sunbonnet Sue" - an old and varied applique pattern - with rings of applique hearts and butterflies.  "Sunbonnet Sue" is one of the machine embroidery designs in my Etsy store (shameless plug):  SFancy Applique Sunbonnet Sue 5 x 7 | Etsy

For some reason, I had chosen to try the "quilt-as-you-go" method on this quilt.  I had assembled four rows horizontally; now they needed to be assembled vertically.  The problem was that I could not remember how to do it.  Perhaps I'd saved the instructions in the pattern cart.  

The pattern cart is a waist-high rolling cart of shallow drawers.  I use these drawers for project patterns and assorted junk.  It started out fairly organized, but over the years I have slapped stuff in the first drawer that had room, and it's become a mess.  So, as I looked for the "quilt-as-you-go" instructions, I sorted all of the patterns - hats, purses, knit/crochet/macrame, embroidery, felt, general sewing, etc. - and relocated the accumulated junk to more logical places.  The "quilt-as-you-go" instructions were not there, but I did find the instructions for the pouches, and I pulled them out and placed them with the pouch pieces, planning to tackle the pouches as soon as I finished the quilt.  

Not finding the instructions, I unrolled the quilt bundle to see if a little studying would make the process apparent.  (I could have googled it if I could've remembered the phrase "quilt-as-you-go.")  When I unrolled the bundle, I discovered that only one of the four strips had been quilted.  The other three weren't even marked for quilting.  And just the marking was going to be a bitch (probably the reason why I abandoned the project in the first place).  So I decided to put the quilt away and make the pouches.

The pouches needed zippers, which were not among the pouch "ingredients."  Thus, a search for zippers ensued.  One of the granddaughters likes to sew, and she is fascinated with zippers.  I let her use a few of them, but put the rest out of sight so they would not tempt her.  Out of sight, out of mind, you know.  

It took me an hour to find the zippers, but the time was well spent, since I found everything else I've looked for over the last few months.

Anyway, the pouches got made, and late in the afternoon, I tackled the quilt once again, after refreshing my memory about how to put it together.  The marking and quilting still had to be done to three of the four strips.  I marked one of them and quilted it most of it before dinner.  Marked the other two after dinner.  This morning, I finished strip #2.

I'll have to fill up a few bobbins before I can finish the rest.  I hate filling bobbins, and have put it off as long as I can by writing this post.  

Time to get back at it.